1. Field
The following description relates to an apparatus and a method for supporting acquisition of a multi-parametric magnetic resonance (MR) image based on characteristics of a patient.
2. Description of Related Art
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to take MR images. MR images are cross-sectional images of the body that are obtained by utilizing the phenomenon of nuclear magnetic resonance. The body contains countless protons (1H nuclei), the spin of which may be flipped by absorption of electromagnetic waves of certain frequency. The excitation and relaxation of the protons by the absorption and emission of electromagnetic waves within a positive field is referred to as proton magnetic resonance. An MRI signal refers to electromagnetic wave that is emitted from the protons during the relaxation. An MR image is obtained by visualizing the MRI signals from protons that are distributed inside the body. Various techniques exist for taking an MR image, and the selection of different imaging parameters and variables may result in images having different contrast between different body tissues.
An MR image may be weighted by various types of contrast, including proton density, T1 (spin-lattice relaxation time), T2 (spin-spin relaxation time), magnetic susceptibility, chemical shift, chemical exchange, diffusion of water molecule and elasticity. The different contrast-type images are taken by using specific set of imaging parameters. Thus, many images of different contrast may be acquired of one region of the body using a method for acquiring multi-parametric images by adjusting the weights and variables used to obtain the image.